lit·er·a·cy

[lit-er-uh-see]
noun
1.
the quality or state of being literate, especially the ability to read and write.
2.
possession of education: to question someone's literacy.
3.
a person's knowledge of a particular subject or field: to acquire computer literacy.

Origin:
1880–85; liter(ate) + -acy

an·ti·lit·er·a·cy, adjective


2. learning, culture.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
literacy (ˈlɪtərəsɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the ability to read and write
2.  the ability to use language proficiently

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Literacy is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

literacy
formed in English and first attested 1883 (see literate); illiteracy dates back to 1650s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
But the image alters as you read about the rise in literacy levels in the state.
It's insulting, giving the climb in literacy, knowledge and higher education in
  the population.
Of course, literacy was limited in the eighteenth century, and those who could
  read had limited access to books.
Ability to interpret technical information and communicate to users with
  varying levels of technology literacy.
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